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Travel Route: North Island in 2 weeksStart: Auckland End: Wellington This route is a basic North Island route that you can combine with a visit to the South Island. Just exploring the North Island, you will need at least 2 weeks. If you have more time, you can always add more routes to your itinerary. The trip starts in Auckland, a great place by the sea, where you can stay for 3 to 4 days exploring the city and the surroundings. Climb the skytower for great views over the city, visit nearby Waiheke to enjoy wines and the beach or go shopping in Parnell. After visiting Auckland head up to the Bay of Islands, especially in summer a spectacular place to go sailing, spot dolphins and go sailing. Spend 2 to 3 days here. Head south to Waitomo, famous for its glowworm caves, to spend a day. Apart from seeing these little creatures, you can take some time to hike. Head West to Rotorua to enjoy some Maori culture and strange natural phenomena like boiling mud! A smelly, but great experience. You can easily spend 2 days here. At a short distance from Rotorua is Taupo, the best place to go sky diving in New Zealand. On a good day, take your time to rent a bike and explore the surroundings or just relax on the banks of lake Taupo, which is also a famous trout fishing spot. End the day by relaxing in one of the hot pools. Heading further south, you should make a stop at the Tongariro National Park, home to the finest one day walk in New Zealand: the Tongariro Crossing. Make sure you check out weather predictions before setting off, the weather can change very fast here. If you have time and like birds, Kapiti Island is your dream come true: a small island off west coast where you can spot very rare birds that you won’t find on the mainland. You have to book a permit online to visit the island. Visit http://www.doc.govt.nz to make you booking. You can also take the trip to Kapiti Island from the capital Wellington, the last stop before heading to the South Island. Windy Wellington has a cable car that you can take to see the botanical gardens, cute cafes to have a coffee and an amazing museum that you should visit: Te Papa. After you finished your trip on the North Island it is time to head South! You can cross either by boat or by plane from Wellington. Te boat ride is spectacular. Check out different companies like Bluebridge and Interislander to see which option is cheaper. Both ferries will take you to Picton on the South Island. |
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